Gas eliminator and fuel economizer



Aug. 27, 1940. c, F 2,212,936

GAS ELIMINATOR AND FUEL ECONOMIZER Filed Jan. 22, 1938' 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jzaz/zza/z Mao/2607 001 Aug. 27, 1940.

Filed Jan. 22 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 az z/ aw /m Q 2 S 7 m w W i k 2 6. 7 w wa Aug. 27, 1940. HQQF 2,2125936 GAS ELIMINATOR AND FUEL ECONOMIZER Filed Jan. 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 27, 1940. HQQF 2,212,936

GAS ELIMINATOR AND FUEL ECONOMIZER Filed Jan. 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

4442502 6? Wow ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS ELIMINATOR. AND FUEL ECONOMIZER Addison 0. Hoof, Hinsdale, 111.

Application January 22, 1938, Serial No. 186,446

8 Claims. (01. 123-97) My invention relates to fuel mixture supply control means or means for controlling the supply of fuel mixture to the internal combustion engines of motor vehicles under certain critical to the intake manifold. This has been found injurious for this reason. After a heavily laden truck has gone up a long grade and goes over the crest so that it can start coasting, the effort required to climb the hill will have made the engine and associated parts quite red hot. The result of now sending a stream of cold fresh air into the combustion chamber of the engine is to cause warping of the valves and other injuries to more clearly show other parts; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modified form of the invention. In the "embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate, I have shown in Fig. 1

conditions. to the cylinder head and housing, due to the 5 Strictly speaking, this invention is in the nature sudden changes in temperature. of an improvement in devices at present on the An object of the present invention is to provide market for the elimination of carbon monoxide .a device of the class described which closes oif gas, as well as being inherently a fuel economizer the supply of fuel whenever an automotive ve- 10 or means for providing actual saving of fuel in hicle is coasting. 10

the operation of automotive vehicles. A further object of the present invention is to It is customary to control the supply of fuel provide a device of the type described so conmixture to the engine of a motor vehicle by means structed that it will operate automatically and of a throttle valve operated by an accelerater conform .identically to the .condition of vacuum pedal. The closing of said valve when pressure in the intake manifold. 15 is removed fromsaid pedal, being limited so that A further object of the invention is to provide a predetermined minimum supply of mixture a device of the type described that is extremely passes to the engine, even. whenthe latter is simpl in construction and capable of long and merely idling. This position of the throttle valv fi'l i n us W h becoming ken r out of 2 'is usually termed the idling'position. Y order. In generaL-the object of the present invention A further object of the present invention is to is to provide novel and useful fuel mixture conp ov e a device 0f e yp described pa e of trol means whereby to eliminate .the waste of attachment to standard automotive vehicle enfuel which has heretofore occurred when the gines at present on the market.

throttle valve was in idling position and the en- Other objects 'and advantages will be more 25 gine was not beingused for propulsion, but reapparent from the following description wherein mained coupled to the power transmission system reference is had to the accompanying four sheets of the vehicle whilethelatter was traveling at of drawings, upon which speed under itsown; momentum, say. down an r Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view incline, said control means also serving to shut of an automotive engine withthe hood broken 30 off the excessive stream of fuel which temporarily away to show other parts of the engine; occurs when the. throttle valve is .suddenly al- Fig. 2 is a plan elevational view of my improved lowed to close to idling position, and thereby preunit, the view being taken generally onthe line vent the flushing out of the engine cylinders by of 5 rich fuel mixture and the subsequent waste of Fig.3 is a fragmentary side elevational view lubricating oil. A further result of such a conof a standard form of carburetor showing gentrol is to eliminate back-firing through the muferally my improv d ni in p i n associated fler when coasting to a corner or down a hill. with the same;

Since the shutting off of gas permits the mo- Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through my im- 40 mentum of the vehicle to drive the engine, inproved unit taken generally on the line 4-4 of 40 stead of the engine driving the vehicle, and since Fig. 2 showing the same associated with the perunder this condition the fuel supply is completetinent portions of the carburetor; ly shut oif, the fact that there is a saving in gas Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a depending entirely upon the amount of coasting portion of the device and associated parts taken which is done, is obvious. generally on the line 5-5 of Fig.4; 45

Some of the devices at present on the market Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a have been found to have various faults. For modified form of device constructed for use with example, there is one device on-the market today a dual carburetor; which, in a condition such as described, shuts Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a modified 5 off the fuel supply and opens up an air supply form of the invention with parts broken in section the usual type of internal combustion automotive engine I8 constructed in the usual manner with the intake manifold I2, carburetor I4 and exhaust pipe I. The carburetor I4 may be of one well known type having the separable housing units I6 and I8, the unit I8 being connected to the intake manifold I2 and the unit I6 being generally connected to the? air filter 28 thereabove. In this and other well known forms of carburetors there is a fuel passageway 22 extending from the float chamber 24 which communicates with the interior of the carburetor I6 through the port 26 and also through passageways 28, 38, 32 and ports 34 and 36. Port 36 is what is usually known as the idling jet or the only direct supply of gasoline from the carburetor to the engine when the throttle Valve 38 is completely closed, such as when the car is coasting down hill. A needle valve 48 is usually employed to regulate or control the supply of fuel through port 36 or through the idling jet.

In order to effect the functions which I have described in connection with my invention, '1 preferably mount a body member 42 between the separable portions I6 and I8 of the carburetor. The body portion 42 may have a flange portion 44 with an opening 46 therethrough coinciding with the conduit 48 through the carburetor. The same bolt members; 58 which fasten the carburetor parts together may fasten the body 42 in position.

The body member 42 may be formed. with a cylindrical boss 54 that is screw-threaded at 56 to receive a cylindrical shell member 58. I form Diaphragm 62 may have an axially directed rod member 68 screw-threadedly connected to washer members I8 upon opposite sides of the diaphragm. In this manner movement of the diaphragm will efi'ect movement of the rod 68. A compression spring 12 positioned against one of the washers I8 extends into the cylinder 58 against an adjusting nut I4 that is screw-threadedly mounted in thetapped end 16 of the cylinder 58. A cap member I8 formed with a reduced screw threaded portion 88 engages in the tapped opening 16 and effectively closes the end of the cylinder, a suitable sealing Washer 82 being interposed between the ends. I provide an axially tapped opening 84 in the cap 82 to receive a connector 86 secured to a conduit 88. The conduit 88 may extend to and be connected by a similar connector member 98 to any desirable part of the intake manifold of the engine I8.

As previously mentioned, the diaphragm 62 is positioned within the boss 54 forming a dividing wall between a pair of chambers 92 and 94. The chamber 94 may be open to atmosphere through the vent opening 96. The chamber 92 may be in communication with conduit 88 and the intake manifold through bore 98 in the adjusting nut I4. As thus constructed-it can be seen that vacuum in the manifold through conduit 88 may flex the diaphragm to enlarge chamber 94 against the action of spring I2. It isfurther apparent that when the vacuum is not sufficient to overcome spring I2 the spring will flex the diaphragm to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The rod 68 is in the nature of a sliding valve having a reduced diameter to provide an annular slot I88. In the normal position shown in Fig. 4, this slot will be aligned with the conduits 38 and 32 and thus permit fuel to pass downwardly to the idling jet 36. The rod 68 is slidably mounted in a suitable bore I82. An axial drill I84 through the rod 68 and connecting to the chamber 94 provides at all times atmospheric condition in the bore I82 in which the rod 68 is slidably mounted.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when a car is being driven over a hill or is coasting on the level and the momentum of the car is driving the motor with the carburetor valve normally closed, a supply of gasoline will be furnished through the idler jet 36. However, in view of the well known fact that'with a no-load condition on the engine, such as is in effect when the vehicle is coasting, the vacuum in the intake manifold is extremely high. The unit which I have provided is so constructed that under this high vacuum the diaphragm 62 will be sucked back at the same time moving the annular slot I88 away from the passageways 38 and 32 and effectively shutting off the supply of fuel to the engine. As soon as any power at all is required from the engine with the resultant drop in the vacuum in the manifold,- the spring member I2 immediately overcomes the suction and forces the sliding valve 68 forward to the position shown in Fig. 4. Itwill be observed that there is an adjustable stop member III) screw-threadedly mounted in the adjusting nut I4 to prevent high suction from pulling the valve to more than a closed position of the orifice. It will be apparent that by reason of the adjusting nut I4 and the stop member II8 a mechanical adjustment of this unit can be made to suit the vacuum conditions upon any motor upon which it is desired to employ the same.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of the invention suitable for use with a dual type carburetor, having two intake conduits therethrough. In this construction the body member 42 will be provided with a pair of conduits II2 capable of alignment with the conduits of the dual carburetor and it may be fastened in place in a manner to that previously described. The body member 42 may be screw-threadedly mounted in a tapped opening H4 and the valve rod 68a formed with the annular slots I88a may be mounted in a bore, I I 6 in a separate body section 42a. It is of course understood that the slots I88a will be in alignment with the idler jet passageways 32.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the invention in which the .body member 42b may be formed with a right angle extension 420 to provide a pivot I28 for a rocker arm I22. The rocker arm I 22 may be pivotally connected to a rod I24 connected to the diaphragm 62, and the opposite end of the rocker arm I22 may be pivotally connected to a comparatively short sliding valve member 68b. It will be apparent that the operation of this construction is identical with that shown in the preferred form, the only difference being in the increased leverage produced by the diaphragm to move the valve member 68b.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the body member 420 is screw-threadedly connected by a stud portion 75 42d in a tapped opening I26 in the side of the carburetor housing adjacent the idler valve 40. The rod I28 may be rigidly connected to the diaphragm and be provided with an enlarged portion I30 slidably mounted in a suitable bore I32 in the housing 420. This bore may communicate with the passageway 32 in the carburetor. I provide a side opening I34 communicating with the bore I32. The operation of this construction is as follows: When the engine is coasting and there is a sufficiently high vacuum to draw the plunger I30 to the position shown in Fig. 8, air is admitted through the port I34 and is drawn through the passageway 32 past the idle jet 40 and into the manifold. With this construction the supply of gasoline is not entirely shut off. However, the mixture fed to the engine while the same is coasting will be greatly reduced in liquid fuel content.

From the above and foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a highly beneficial device which performs a double function in connection with the operation of the internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. By the action of my preferred form of the invention there is absolutely no carbon monoxide gas which is emitted from the exhaust muflier when an automobile is coasting. Further, there is a distinct saving in the amount of gasoline used in connection with the operation of the automobile. I have further found that when the supply of gas is shut off, that the slight amount of air which reaches the combustion chamber above the pistons during a coasting operation, serves to burn the carbon on the cylinder walls and in the cylinder head. This is due to the fact that as only air is being drawn in and in a very slight amount, thecontinued ignition in the cylinders causes the carbon to burn in the presence of the oxygen in the air. While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of my invention and several modifications thereof which are advisable under certain conditions, I contemplate that changes and modifications may be made in the specific details shown, and I do not wish to be limited in any particular. Rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a shut-off member adapted to be mounted in the passageway to the idling jet of a carburetor, a cylinder forming part of said member, said shut-ofi member having a portion mounted in said cylinder, a conduit adapted to extend from said cylinder to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine whereby the actuation of said shut-off member is adapted to be directly responsive to the vacuum condition in the manifold, resilient means urging the shut-off member to open position, and adjustment means associated with said resilient means for adjusting the tension of the resilient means whereby to control the operation of the shut-off member in accordance with a predetermined vacuum condition in the manifold.

2. A device ,of the character described comprising a shut-off member adapted to be mounted in the passageway to the idling jet of a carburetor, a cylinder forming a part of said member, said member having a diaphragm portion mounted in said cylinder, a conduit adapted to extend from said cylinder to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine whereby the actuation of said shut-ofi member is adapted to ber to open position, and adjustment means associated with said resilient means for adjusting the tension of the resilient means whereby to control the operation of the shut-off member in accordance with a predetermined vacuum condition in the manifold.

3. A device of the character described comprising a slide valve adapted to be mounted in the passageway to the idling jet of a carburetor, a cylinder forming a part of said valve, said valve having a diaphragm attached thereto and mounted in a chamber in said cylinder, a conduit adapted to extend from said chamber to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine whereby the actuation of said slide valve is adapted to be directly responsive to the vacuum condition in the manifold, resilient means urging the valve to open position, and adjustment means associated with said resilient means for adjusting the tension of the resilient means whereby to control the operation of the valve in accordance with a predetermined vacuum condition in the manifold.

4. A unitary device adapted to be positioned in the fuel mixture intake of an internal combustion engine between two portions of the carburetor, said unit having upper and lower flat surfaces for attachment to said housing units, a fuel conduit in said unit extending between the two surfaces, a relatively small passageway in said unit parallel to said first named conduit and separate therefrom, said passageway terminating at both of said faces in alined apertures, a slidably mounted valve member in said unit for opening and closing said passageway, and vacuum responsive means independent of the vacuum in said conduit and passageway for actuating said valve to closed position, said opposed fiat surfaces being parallel and said conduit and passageway extending normally thereto in parallelism for providing the continuation of carburetor passageways.

5. A unitary device adapted to be positioned in the fuel mixture intake of an internal combustion engine between two portions of the carburetor, said unit having upper and lower flat surfaces for attachment to said housing units, a fuel conduit in said unit extending between the two surfaces, a relatively small passageway in said unit parallel to said first named conduit and separate therefrom, said passageway terminating at both of said faces in alined apertures, a slidably mounted valve member in said unit for opening and closing said passageway, vacuum responsive means independent of the vacuum in said conduit and passageway for actuating said valve to closed position, said opposed flat surfaces being parallel and said conduit and passageway extending normally thereto in parallelism for providing the continuation of carburetor passageways, said vacuum responsive means comprising a diaphragm operatively connected with said valve member, a closed chamber adjacent said diaphragm, a passage communicating with said chamber and adapted to be placed in communi cation with the intake manifold suction, and resilient means normally urging the valve to open position.

6. A unitary device adapted to be positioned in the fuel mixture intake of an internal combustion engine between two portions of the carburetor, said unit having um and lower flat surfaces for attachment to said housing units, ajuel conduit in said unit extending between the two surfaces, a relatively small passageway in said unit parallel to said first named conduit and separate therefrom, said passageway terminating at both of said faces in alined apertures, a slidably mounted valve member in said unit for opening and closing said passageway, vacuum responsive means independent of the vacuum in said conduit and passageway for actuating said valve to closed position, said opposed fiat surfaces being parallel and said conduit and passageway extending normally thereto in parallelism for providing the continuation of carburetor passageways, said valve 'means comprising a blind bore in said unit, a member slidable longitudinally in said blind bore, and a passageway in said member communicating with the inner extremity thereof and with atmosphere.

7. A unitary device adapted to be mounted upon the carburetor of an internal combustion engineand comprising a member having a surface configurated for connection to a portion of said carburetor, a passageway opening adjacent said surface and extending inwardly into said unit, a valve in said passageway, a vacuum chamber independent of said passageway, suction responsive means in said vacuum chamber, said suction responsive means being operatively connected to said valve for operation thereof, and conduit means communicating with said vacuum chamber and adapted for connection to intake manifold suction.

8. A unitary device adapted to be mounted upon the carburetor of an internal combustion engine and comprising a member having a surface configurated for connection to a portion of said carburetor, a passageway opening adjacent said surface and extending inwardly into said unit, a valve in said passageway, a vacuum chamber independent of said passageway, suction responsive means in said vacuum chamber, said suction responsive means being operatively connected to said valve for operation thereof, and conduit means communicating with said vacuum chamber and adapted for connection to intake manifold suction, said connection surface comprising a helically threaded portion formed about said opening and adapted for insertion in a complementary opening in a carburetor communicating with the jet passageway thereof.

ADDISON C. HOOF. 

